Firearms or weapons may be employed with different trigger apparatus or devices that provide different trigger pull resistances to discharge the firearm. The amount of trigger pull resistance provided by a trigger apparatus may affect the precision of a shot. For example, it is sufficient for a flare gun to typically employ a trigger apparatus providing between 25 Newton (N) and 50 N of trigger force or pull resistance to discharge the flare gun because a flare gun is not used to accurately shoot an intended target with precision. In contrast, a military rifle may be implemented with a trigger apparatus that provides less than 45 N of trigger force or pull resistance to discharge the rifle. Additionally, the user should be able to determine the discharge position of the trigger apparatus based on the resistance. A target gun, a precision rifle, and/or a hunting weapon typically employ a trigger apparatus that provides less than 15 N of trigger force or pull resistance to discharge the weapon. In some examples, firearms include adjustable mechanisms to adjust the amount of trigger pull resistance or force required to discharge the firearm.
Moreover, the trigger pull resistance or force to be overcome by a user to discharge the firearm may be dependent on the mechanical structure of the trigger apparatus and/or the tolerances required for manufacturing. For self-loading firearms (e.g., a pistol), a trigger apparatus must also be configured to tolerate vibrations experienced by the firearm during recoil. For example, a trigger catch of the trigger apparatus must be configured to reliably function despite the recoil generated by a previous shot. Thus, mechanically operated trigger apparatus must mechanically move between distinct positions to properly reset or reload between each shot that is discharged. As a result, for self-loading, semi-automatic firearms, for example, a user is interrupted between shots. In other words, a user must release the trigger to a predetermined position while, for example, the trigger engages a sear arm arrangement, a chamber is loaded with a new cartridge, a catch engages and retains the firing pin in a cocked position, etc. Such interruption may provide a duration that is long enough to interrupt or affect the precision of the user or shooter (i.e., a shooter may have to realign the firearm to an intended target).
Electronically-operated trigger apparatus, on the other hand, typically employ a contact to discharge the firearm. In contrast to a mechanically operated trigger apparatus, electronic trigger apparatus typically lack a linkage mechanism to activate a firing pin, which strikes the cartridge to discharge the firearm. Instead, the electronic trigger apparatus engages a contact or switch that generates a signal to discharge the firearm. Compared to mechanically operated trigger apparatus, such configuration significantly reduces the duration between consecutive discharges when employed with self-loading semi-automatic firearms.
However, a trigger pull of an electronic trigger apparatus is substantially less than the trigger pull of a mechanical trigger apparatus. For example, non-self loading target firearms implemented with an electrical trigger apparatus may typically require 0.04 N of force to overcome pull resistance to discharge the firearm, as compared with to an amount of 0.4 N of force or pull resistance to discharge the same firearm employed with a mechanical trigger apparatus. Nonetheless, in both cases, because the trigger force is so small, a user placing the firearm down on a surface may be sufficient to discharge the firearm. Additionally, due to lack of physical space in the firearm (e.g., a hand-held pistol), electronically activated trigger apparatus typically provide a simple or light trigger release. Such a configuration is drastically different than a firearm having a trigger apparatus that must overcome a pressure point or trigger slack region (e.g., double-stage) to discharge the firearm. Additionally, for safety purposes, a trigger apparatus should typically employ a trigger that provides more than 10 N of force or trigger pull resistance to discharge the firearm. Thus, electronic trigger apparatus are typically configured as single-pull or single-stage triggers.
Sport rifles and/or firearms, such as those used in the biathlon or the Olympics, are typically desired to have a trigger apparatus that has a trigger slack region (e.g., a two-stage trigger). In this manner, a sharpshooter may engage the trigger without discharging the firearm when aiming the firearm at an intended target. Trigger slack may prevent discharge of the firearm even if the shooter's hand is shaking due to excitement or exertion, but allows the sharpshooter to fire precise, rapid shots. Rapid shooting is desired with sport rifles because the contestants are timed during the competition, and the contestant to discharge the firearm in the fastest amount of time and hit the intended targets with the most precision wins the competition.